Moto G5s Plus and G5s: Mid-year upgrades done right?

We first saw the Moto G5 and G5 Plus at this year’s MWC in Barcelona. This was the fifth iteration of the hugely successful budget G series and was received with great amounts of positive feedback. Motorola took this feedback on board, like most brands do. But unlike most brands, it didn’t wait a whole year to show customers that it’s listening. Instead of proving its might with next year’s Moto G6, Motorola released a mid-year G5S and G5S Plus.

Before we jump into what Motorola did to create two updated G series devices, lets first check their specifications out.

Moto G5s and G5s Plus: Specifications

Moto G5s

Moto G5s Plus

Technology

2G/3G/4G

2G/3G/4G

Dimensions

150 x 73.5 x 8.2mm

153.5 x 76.2 x 8mm

Weight

157g

168g

SIM

Single SIM (nano SIM) or Dual SIM (nano SIM, dual stand-by)

Single SIM (nano SIM) or Dual SIM (nano SIM, dual stand-by)

Display

5.2 inches Full HD IPS LCD

5.5 inches Full HD IPS LCD

Operating System

Android 7.1 Nougat, confirmed upgrade to Android 8.0 Oreo

Android 7.1 Nougat, confirmed upgrade to Android 8.0 Oreo

Processor

Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430

Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625

CPU

Octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53

Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53

GPU

Adreno 505

Adreno 506

RAM/Storage

3GB/32GB

3GB/32GB or 4GB/64GB

Card slot

microSD, up to 256GB

microSD, up to 256GB

Main Camera

16MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, LED flash

Dual 13MP, f/2.0, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash

Video

Full HD @ 30fps

4K @ 30fps

Front Camera

5MP, f/2.0, LED flash

8MP, f/2.0, LED flash

Connectivity

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS

USB

microUSB 2.0 (with fast charging)

microUSB 2.0 (with fast charging)

Security

Fingerprint sensor

Fingerprint sensor

Battery

Non-removable Li-Ion 3,000mAh battery

Non-removable Li-Ion 3,000mAh battery

Colors

Lunar grey, fine gold

Lunar grey, fine gold

Price

Dh799

Dh1,099

So what is the feedback Motorola addressed?

1. Display

The Moto G5 and G5 Plus came with 5- and 5.2-inch Full HD LCD displays that a lot of people didn’t like. Motorola decided to sort that out with the G5s bumped up to 5.2 inches and the Moto G5s Plus to 5.5 inches.

The displays are bright, clear and offer great viewing angles. Colour can be adjusted according to preference in the settings too. Even in the UAE’s harsh sunlight, the display provides decent visibility.

2. Design

While the design differences may not be obvious at first glance, improvements have been made. The screen now has curves that merge into the body. The device’s aren’t entirely metal at the back with visible antenna bands that are far sleeker than the earlier iterations. Thanks to the new design, the build feels whole and solid. The changes are subtle and work to the advantage of the devices.

3. Camera

This year saw a broad range of devices bring in dual camera systems. Unfortunately, the G5 and G5 Plus weren’t part of the trend. Moto decided to take the matter into consideration. The G5S Plus comes with a dual 13MP camera set-up where one is an RGB (colour) sensor and the other a monochrome one.

Having a monochrome sensor enables the second camera to capture more light and detail, leaving the RGB sensor to focus on what it does best. The phone combines the details from both cameras to create a far better image than its predecessor.

Depth of field-based images have been all the rage this year and you don’t need to shell out flagship money to get your hands on such images. The dual camera on the Moto G5s Plus is completely capable of doing the same too. While one camera concentrates on the foreground, the second concentrates on the background, resulting in images such as the ones in the gallery below.

The front camera on the G5S Plus also gets a boost from 5 to 8 megapixels.

Here are some of the samples taken from the Moto G5s Plus’ main camera.

Moto G5s Plus

1 of 6

Well-saturated greens are visible thanks to the RGB sensor

It also helps bring out the pink in these petals

Captured with depth-of-field mode

Taken with depth-of-field mode

Snapped with HDR on

Using depth-of-field mode indoors

Moto G5s and G5s Plus: Perks

Apart from all the above mentioned upgrades, like all Moto devices the G5S and G5S Plus come with Moto Action. This constitutes the Moto Display as well as Moto Gestures, which you can use to access your camera and your torch.

Chop chop to torch. It’s surprising how much this tiny gesture became one of our most-liked Moto features offered on these devicesTwist to activate the camera and again to switch between front and rear shooting

The devices will also see an upgrade toAndroid 8.0 Oreo, which is great news for anyone looking at picking up something future-proof. The upgrade can be expected to bring the updated Android UI, greater battery management and better camera functionality.

Moto G5s and G5s Plus users will receive an Android Oreo upgrade

With great battery life, a good display, a new camera, great design and build quality, the Moto G5s and G5s Plus are ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to spend too much on their smartphone – as well as those who can’t afford to.

We have to give Motorola props for the mid-year upgrade in the G series. What do you think of the company’s move? Let us know in the comments below.